Written by Kellie Roblin, your April websitter

Greetings LMWP Friends!

I just returned this afternoon from the Bright Ideas conference at MSU, put on my MCTE. I presented my "Grammar for Empowerment" findings in our Teacher-Research class. It was great fun! Several MSU graduate students were there and made me feel welcome.

The panel discussion went very well and I even was able to plug Action Research and our Lake Michigan chapter of the Writing Project. Attending a conference of teachers who are all committed to developing their craft was a pleasure. Many of the other conferences I've attended have been stuffy and dry; the energy and practical advice at Bright Ideas was supremely refreshing. ...Actually, the spirit of dedication and collaboration reminded me of our work at LMWP.

The research I conducted on grammar instruction during the Teacher Research course was also a catalyst for a new course at one of my schools. One of our LMWP colleagues, Katie Kalisz, and I talked extensively about my grammar study and our practices in teaching grammar. She had been thinking about grammar instruction, and our conversations prompted her to consider designing a new course for English grammar at Grand Rapids Community College.  

She decided to go ahead and began the process of designing the course; her work was a success and the course will be offered for the first time this Fall! Yes! I certainly can't propose the course is due to my research, but I like to think it may have given Katie that last push of encouragement to do what she had been wanting to do  -- or at least provide a space for the dialogue about the potential it holds. Collaboration is a wonderful thing!

Our work really can make a difference! None of it could have been done with out all of you. Thank you for your support and efforts, and keep it up!

Kellie Roblin